Check protecting



Patented Oct. 22, 1929 UNTED STATES FREDERICK U. CONARD, OF BRIDGEPORT.

PATENT OFFICE CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD ELLIOTT FISI-IER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF IDEL.AJV'AlR/Iil` CHECK PROTECTING Application led October 4, 192.7. Serial No. 223,867.

This invention relates to typing the name of payee and the amount upon a bank-check, and to make it difficult or impossible to alter the check.

The leading feature of the invention is to cut out portions from the check, converting the check into a stencil. Such stencil is readily distinguishable from an ordinary typewritten check. The cut-out bodies of the letters cannot be replaced.

Tn practicing the invention, a check of any suitable form and material is moistened and thereby softened or rendered somewhat pulpy, and then inserted in a typewriting machine having a very hard platen. The keys of the typewriter are then operated to cause the steel types to type the name, the amount and other data upon the check. The effect of the moistening and softening of the paper is to effect a substantial alteration in the type-,impressions as compared with ordinary typeimpress-ions made upon dry paper. The softened paper is entirely severed throughout the contour of each type. The width of the cut is considerable, infact as great as or greater than is commonly obtained in typing stencils upon waxed or otherwise coated stencil-sheets.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

. Figure 1 is an enlarged view of a bankcheck prepared according to this invention, the width of the stencil cuts or openings be-V ing somewhat exaggerated for clearness.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragment of the stencilized check.

Figure 8 is a perspective enlargement of the stencilizing types employed in the typewriting machine.

The typing is done with perforating or stencilizing types 10, which are similar to the ordinary steel types of a typewriting machine, except that, at several points along the main contour-lines 9 of each type, little notches l1 are formed, so that the paper will be left uncut at such points, and line bonds of paper l2 will be left in the stencilized check 13 at every such point, but without appreciably detracting from the clear-cut perforation 16 of the entire letter in the softened paper of the check. The type consists of cutting lines or edges having substantial length between notches, each contour consisting mainly of lines or edges. The type cuts through the softened paper and pressesthe fibers of the same aside, and also cuts or presses a substantial portion of the pulp or soft paper entirely out of the check and onto the usual platen of the typewriter, where it may be seen. This makes it very diflicult or impossible to restore the stenciled portion of the check preparatory to altering thefsame. There is destruction and loss of substantial substance from the paper as each type or letter is stenciled thereon. Y

The stencilizing may be done through an ink-ribbon, the ink used being of the fluent and pervasive variety known as copying ink. The paper, on accountof its dampness, readily absorbs much ink from the ink-ribbon, so that the edges of the letters stenciled in the check become loaded with ink, as indicated at 14, Figure 2, which is a further protection against attempts to restore the paper of the check preparatory to alteration. Moreover, any attempt to use ink-erasing liquids would tend to spread the ink further, and thus aid in detecting the attempt to tamper with the check. l

In some cases, there may be used an ordinary ink-pad to ink thetypes, as is common in the well-known Sun typewriter for example; so that the types would ink the paper directly. In such a case, types could be employed having somewhat broadened stencilcutting edges, instead of having sharp edges such as are in vogue in typewriter-types.

The check is so efli'ciently stencilized by this invention, that it will be found as a test that duplicate copies thereof could be experimentally made Aby passing an ordinary stenciling ink-roller over the check, the stencilcopy ink working through the perforations and making typewritten copies upon a number of copy-sheets; whereas to pass the same ink-roller over an ordinary typewritten check on dry paper would not produce a legible copy.

of the checkin some cases, and, in other cases, the moisture may be applied on both the top and bottom of the check. The moistened area of the check is indicated at 15. In some cases, 5 the moisture may be allowed to permeate the paper so thoroughly as to tend to recouvert the paper nearly into pulp, which will all the more readily absorb the typewriter-ink from the types, or from the ribbon; and, as this ink will remain in the check upon the drying thereof, the paper will be well impregnated, and serve as a still further safeguard against attempts at alteration.

While the drawings illustrate chiseled faced types, it will be understood that the invention may be also carried out with typewriting machineshaving the pin-point or needle-point types, which are in common use for check typewrit-ing.

2O-l Variations may be resorted to Within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, claim:

V l. The process of preparing a bank-check, including moistening a check that is printed on bank-check paper and inserting the same in a typewriting machine and stencilizing thereon with work-perforating types the k name or amount to be safeguarded, to destroy the libres of the paper where struck by the types.

2. The process consisting in moistening upon the back a check that is printed upon bank-check paper and allowing the paper to soften, and then stencilizing thereon with work-perforating types, to destroy the Vlibres of the paper where struck by the types.

3. The process of safeguarding a bank 4o check, consisting in allowing moisture to permeate the same suiliciently to render it stencilizable, and then perforating the check with typewriter stencilizing types the name o-r amount or other matter to be safeguarded,

i to destroy the libres of the paper where struck bythe types. i

' 4. The process of safeguarding a check, consisting in allowing moisture to permeate the same suliiciently to render it stencilizable,

50, and then stencilizing thereon with type writer types, with an ink-ribbon impregnated with copying ink, the name or amount or other matter to be safeguarded.

5. The process consisting in moistening a bank-check upon the back and allowing the paper to soften` and then typewriting thereon with stencilizing types, applying to the types copying ink directly from a pad, so that the inked types strike directly upon the 00 check.

FREDERICK U. CONARD. 

